Mold assembly for forming annular bulges on tube

ABSTRACT

A mold assembly includes a stationary and a movable mold devices each having a mold cavity formed in an upper mold piece and a lower mold piece, a tubular member may be clamped between the upper and the lower mold pieces of the stationary and the movable mold devices respectively. A portion of the tubular member that is disposed between the stationary mold device and the movable mold device may be squeezed and deformed and received within the mold cavities of the upper and the lower mold pieces when the movable mold device is moved toward the stationary mold device, in order to form one or more bulges on the tubular member.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a machine or a mold assembly, and more particularly to a machine or a mold assembly for uniformly and smoothly forming annular or peripheral bulges or rings on tubular members.

[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art

[0004] Typical tubes or tubular members may be required to form annular or peripheral bulges or rings on the outer peripheral portion thereof, for engaging with machines or various objects, and for positioning and/or retaining the tubular members to the machines or the objects.

[0005] Normally, the annular or peripheral bulges or rings are previously or separately formed and then engaged onto the outer peripheral portion of the tubular members, and then secured onto the tubular members with fasteners, adhesive materials, or by welding processes, or the like.

[0006] However, it takes much time, and highly skilled persons are required to engage and assemble the annular or peripheral bulges or rings onto the outer peripheral portion of the tubular members, and secured onto the tubular members by such as the welding processes, such that the manufacturing costs for forming the annular or peripheral bulges or rings onto the outer peripheral portion of the tubular members may not be reduced.

[0007] In addition, the outer appearances of the welding portions of the annular or peripheral bulges or rings onto the outer peripheral portion of the tubular members may not be smooth or uniform, and may include projections or spots formed on the outer peripheral portion of the tubular members that are not good for viewing and that may seriously damage the outer appearance of the tubular member.

[0008] The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional attachment or formation of the annular or peripheral bulges or rings onto the outer peripheral portion of the tubular members.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a machine or a mold assembly for quickly and uniformly and smoothly forming annular bulges or rings on tubular members.

[0010] In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a mold assembly for forming a bulge on a tubular member, the mold assembly comprising a stationary mold device including an upper mold piece and a lower mold piece each having a chamber formed therein to receive the tubular member therein, and each having a mold cavity formed therein and communicating with the chamber thereof, a movable mold device including an upper mold piece and a lower mold piece each having a chamber formed therein to receive the tubular member therein, and each having a mold cavity formed therein and communicating with the chamber thereof. The upper mold pieces of the stationary mold device and the movable mold device are movable toward the lower mold pieces thereof respectively, to secure the tubular between the upper mold pieces and the lower mold pieces of the stationary mold device and the movable mold device respectively. An intermediate portion of the tubular member that is disposed between the stationary mold device and the movable mold device may be squeezed and deformed and received within the mold cavities of the upper and the lower mold pieces of the stationary mold device and the movable mold device respectively, when the movable mold device is moved toward the stationary mold device, in order to form the bulge on the tubular member.

[0011] The upper and the lower mold pieces of the stationary mold device and the movable mold device each include at least one passage formed therein, and each may include an outer portion having a second mold cavity formed therein and communicating with the chambers thereof to receive the bulge of the tubular member.

[0012] A table may further be provided and may include a seat to support the lower mold piece of the stationary mold device, and may include a carrier to support the lower mold piece of the movable mold device.

[0013] Two actuators may further be provided and coupled to the upper mold pieces of the stationary mold device and the movable mold device respectively, to force the upper mold pieces toward the lower mold piece of the stationary mold device and the movable mold device respectively.

[0014] Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a machine or a mold assembly in accordance with the present invention;

[0016]FIG. 2 is a partial exploded view of the mold assembly,

[0017]FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of the mold assembly, in which the upper mold pieces have been removed;

[0018]FIG. 4 is a partial cross sectional view taken along lines 4-4 of FIG. 3, in which the upper mold pieces are included and shown;

[0019]FIG. 5 is a partial cross sectional view similar to FIG. 4, illustrating the operation of the mold assembly;

[0020]FIG. 6 is an upper plan view illustrating the lower mold pieces of the mold assembly; and

[0021]FIGS. 7, 8, 9 are partial plan views illustrating the orther embodiments of the tubular members to be formed or machined by the mold assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0022] Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIG. 1, a machine or a mold assembly 1 in accordance with the present invention comprises a stationary mold device 10 to be solidly and fixedly secured on a seat 31 of a table 30 of a working machine, and a movable mold device 20 secured on a carrier 32 which is to be slidably supported on the table 30 of the working machine with one or more tracks 33, for allowing the movable mold device 20 to be moved toward and away from the stationary mold device 10 by moving the carrier 32 relative to the seat 31 of the table 30.

[0023] For example, the mold assembly 1 may include a motor driving mechanism, a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder or actuator, or other driving or moving facilities (not shown) coupled to the movable mold device 20, in order to move the movable mold device 20 relative to or toward or away from the stationary mold device 10.

[0024] Referring next to FIGS. 1-6, the stationary mold device 10 and the movable mold device 20 each may include an upper mold piece 11, 21, and each may include a lower mold piece 12, 22 secured on the seat 31 and the carrier 32 of the table 30 respectively. The mold assembly 1 further includes two actuators 37 (FIG. 1), such as hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders 37, disposed on the table 30, and coupled to the upper mold piece 11, 21 of the stationary mold device 10 and the movable mold device 20 respectively, for forcing the upper mold piece 11, 21 toward and to engage with the lower mold piece 12, 22 respectively.

[0025] The upper mold piece 11, 21 and the lower mold piece 12, 22 of the stationary mold device 10 and the movable mold device 20 each may include a semi-cylindrical chamber 13, 23 formed therein, and aligned with each other, to receive a tubular member 40 therein, and to form one or more rings or annular or peripheral bulges 41 on the outer peripheral portion of the tubular member 40 (FIGS. 2-5 and 7-9).

[0026] The upper mold piece 11, 21 and the lower mold piece 12, 22 of the stationary mold device 10 and the movable mold device 20 each may further include a cut-off peripheral portion or mold cavity 14, 24, such as a curved or rounded cut-off mold cavity 14, 24 formed in the inner ends thereof and communicating with the semi-cylindrical chamber 13, 23 thereof respectively, and another curved or rounded cut-off mold cavity 15, 25 formed in the inner ends thereof and communicating with the semi-cylindrical chamber 13, 23 thereof respectively.

[0027] The stationary mold device 10 and/or the movable mold device 20 may each include one or more passages 17, 27 formed in either or both the upper mold piece 11, 21 and the lower mold piece 12, 22, for receiving hot and/or cold fluid therethrough, which may be used to heat and/or cool the upper mold piece 11, 21 and/or the lower mold piece 12, 22, of the stationary mold device 10 and the movable mold device 20 respectively, for example.

[0028] In operation, as shown in FIGS. 2, 5, the tubular member 40 is first received in the semi-cylindrical chambers 13, 23 of the upper mold piece 11, 21 and/or the lower mold piece 12, 22 of the stationary mold device 10 and the movable mold device 20 respectively, and the upper mold piece 11, 21 may then be moved toward the lower mold piece 12, 22, to solidly secure the tubular member 40 between the upper and the lower mold piece 11, 21, 12, 22 of the stationary mold device 10 and the movable mold device 20 respectively. At this moment, the stationary mold device 10 and the movable mold device 20 are separately from each other.

[0029] As shown in FIGS. 3, 4, when the movable mold device 20 is moved toward the stationary mold device 10 by moving the carrier 32 of the table 30 toward the seat 31, the intermediate portion of the tubular member 40 that is disposed or arranged between the stationary mold device 10 and the movable mold device 20 may then be squeezed and/or deformed and/or forged and received within the curved or rounded cut-off mold cavities 14, 24 of the upper and the lower mold piece 11, 21, 12, 22 respectively, in order to form the rings or annular or peripheral bulges 41 on the outer peripheral portion of the tubular member 40.

[0030] As shown in FIGS. 7-9, the mold cavities 14, 24 and/or 15, 25 of the upper and the lower mold piece 11, 21, 12, 22 of the stationary mold device 10 and the movable mold device 20 may be formed into various or different shapes or contours, in order to form the rings or annular or peripheral bulges 41 of different shapes or contours on the tubular member 40 respectively.

[0031] It is to be noted that the intermediate portion of the tubular member 40 that is disposed or arranged between the stationary mold device 10 and the movable mold device 20 may be formed or shaped by the curved or rounded cut-off mold cavities 14, 24 of the upper and the lower mold piece 11, 21, 12, 22 respectively, such that the rings or annular or peripheral bulges 41 may be quickly and uniformly and smoothly formed on the outer peripheral portion of the tubular member 40.

[0032] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, when one or more rings or annular or peripheral bulges 41 are required to be formed on the outer peripheral portion of the tubular member 40, some of the rings or annular or peripheral bulges 41 that have already been formed on the tubular member 40 may be received and positioned within the mold cavities 15, 25 of the upper and the lower mold piece 11, 21, 12, 22 respectively, in order to position the tubular member 40 relative to the stationary mold device 10 and the movable mold device 20, and thus to uniformly and precisely or accurately form the rings or annular or peripheral bulges 41 on the tubular member 40.

[0033] Accordingly, the mold assembly in accordance with the present invention may be used for quickly and uniformly and smoothly forming annular bulges or rings on tubular members.

[0034] Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. 

I claim:
 1. A mold assembly for forming a bulge on a tubular member, said mold assembly comprising: a stationary mold device including an upper mold piece and a lower mold piece each having a chamber formed therein to receive the tubular member therein, and each having a mold cavity formed therein and communicating with said chamber thereof, a movable mold device including an upper mold piece and a lower mold piece each having a chamber formed therein to receive the tubular member therein, and each having a mold cavity formed therein and communicating with said chamber thereof, said upper mold pieces of said stationary mold device and said movable mold device being movable toward said lower mold pieces thereof respectively, to secure the tubular between said upper mold pieces and said lower mold pieces of said stationary mold device and said movable mold device respectively, and a portion of the tubular member that is disposed between said stationary mold device and said movable mold device being squeezable and deformable and receivable within said mold cavities of said upper and said lower mold pieces of said stationary mold device and said movable mold device respectively, when said movable mold device is moved toward said stationary mold device, in order to form the bulge on the tubular member.
 2. The mold assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said upper and said lower mold pieces of said stationary mold device and said movable mold device each include at least one passage formed therein.
 3. The mold assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein said upper and said lower mold pieces of said stationary mold device and said movable mold device each include an outer portion having a second mold cavity formed therein and communicating with said chambers thereof to receive the bulge of the tubular member.
 4. The mold assembly as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a table having a seat to support said lower mold piece of said stationary mold device, and having a carrier to support said lower mold piece of said movable mold device.
 5. The mold assembly as claimed in claim 1 further comprising two actuators coupled to said upper mold pieces of said stationary mold device and said movable mold device respectively, to force said upper mold pieces toward said lower mold piece of said stationary mold device and said movable mold device respectively. 